Bag-filling machine



April 14, 1931. J. PELLETIER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l 0 INVENTOR 16/ ATTORNEYs JM'Q/ April 14-, 19.31- J. PELLETIER BAGFILLING MACHlNE Filed Aug. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 p 14, 1931- J. PELLETIER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1929 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 pars stares Parr crease JULIAN PELLETIER, OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T CHESTER E. WILLIAMS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS BAG-FILLING MACHINE Application filed August 8, 1929. Serial No. 384,287.

The present invention pertains to a novel bag filling machine, and the principal object is to provide a device of this character which automatically opens the foremost bag of a stack of folded bags and holds the same open while being filled.

.Moreover, the invention includes a bag charging device such as an elevator which is timed in its operation to "deliver material only while a bag is held open. The machine is fof the repeating type, performing successively and repeatedly an operation consisting of certain definite movements.

The-machine includes a fixed holderwhich constantly engages the upper edge of the foremost bag of the stack. The bags are so folded that one ply of each bag is longer than the other ply. his the longer ply which is engaged by the holder, while the shorter ply is free. Further, the machine includes a cross head movement towards and away from the holder. The cross head carries gripping means for engaging the shorter ply and thus opening the bag whenthe head is retracted. The movements of the cross head and gripping member are governed by a cam which also controls the actuation of an elevator discharging into the opened bags, in

sucha manner as to cause the elevator to operate only while a bag is held open.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine, partly in elevation;

Fig. 2'is a fragmentary section in the same plane, showing a bagheld in open position: Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figurel;

5 is a perspective view of one of the bags folded;

Fig. 6 is a plan section on the line 6-6 ofFigure l; i 1

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section on the line 77 of Figure 6; and y Figures 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views showing the bag as affected by the bag opening mechanism in different positions or stages.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figures 1, 4 and 6 the machine is shown as built on an upright frame lat the rear At the top of the frame is a head 7 lying transversely of the frame as shown in Figures 4% and 6 and disposed substantially directly over the ledge 6. The head 7 slidably supports a pair of angular holders 8 which extend downwardly towards the upper edges of the bags. t will-be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 5 that the bags are folded to form two plies 9 and 10, the former of which. projects upwardly beyond the latter. The depending parts of the holders 8 engage only the projecting or exposed part of the longer ply 9 and leave the shorter ply 10 free to sag forwardly. The stems 8 of the holders which pass through the bar 7 have heads 11 on the rear side of the head 7 and are surrounded by springs 12 between the rear face of the head? and the heads 11, whereby the holders are spring drawn rearwardly against the stack of bags.

The top of the frame further supports a pair of rotatable shafts 13 parallel to each other and extending longitudinally of the machines and over the space 4 as shown more clearly in Figure 6. Sleeves 14 (Figure 7) are splined on the shafts by means of keys 15, and the sleeves are further surrounded by the ends of cross headl6 bridged between the shafts. Each sleeve is formed at one end with a shoulder 17 engaged by one side of the cross head and is threaded as at 18 at the "other end to receive a nut 19 engaging the cross h-ead16 to a farther extent than do'the 7 gage the shorter lap 10 of the foremost bagother side of the cross head,'wherebythe ends of 'the cross head are held against sliding relativel to the sleeves A pair of holders or gripping members depend from the holders 8, so that the members 20 Will en- .whenthe cross head ismoved' towards this bag by the means presently to be described. In such position, the members 20,11e between the members 8 as shown in Figured Beneath the base or floor 5, the frame sup- 7 ports a shaft 21 lying parallel to the. shafts 13. One end of theshaftis geared to amotor 22'as indicated the numeral 23. The shaft carriesacompound cam member 24 v having a groove consisting of a constant portion 25 through an extent of substantially 180, a slope 26extending from one endof thepart 25, and a return or op posite 'slope V27 connecting the part 26 to the other end of the part 25'. V

A rocker arm 28 isfulcrumed in a bearing 29 on the floor 5 and passes through a slot 30 in the floor. The lower end of this arm rides in the groove 25, 26,27 of the cam 24, and the upper end-is connected bya linlr 31 tothe cross head 1'6-as. shown in Figures 1 and 6.

Thus, the slope 26 will move the cross head 7 towards the foremost hag 3,,an-dgthe device presentlyto be described grips the. shorter lap 10' of the foremost bag. The return slope 27 promptly withdraws the cross head with the shorter lap attached thereto, thus opening the bag, andlthe constant part 25 of the cam groove holds the bagopenfor filling through approximately 180 cam rotation,

The gripping means referred to includes a 7 pair of stems *32 rotatably mounted in'the 1 cross head and carrying gripping fingers 33 angular thereto and adapted to beswung down directly in front of the members 20 as shown' n Figure 2. The means for swinging the fingers includes arms 34 carried by the stems 32, arms 35 carried by the sleeves l4 and links 36 connecting the arms 34 to the corresponding or adjacent arms 35.' s The stems32 are headed at 37'atthe ends opposite the iingers 33 and areksurrounded by springs 37" beneath the heads, whereby the fingers are placed under tension in the direction towards (the cross head 16;

[shafts 39 carrying bevel gears. 40 meshing W1th the gears 38; In a guide 41 attached be- The-shafts ca b e 38min J acent these gears are j ournaled two upri ht 1 'ncath the floor 5 is mounted a slide member 50 42 having a pair of arms 43 and 44 extending towards. the upright shafts. Theslat ter'carry cranks 45 asfshovvn' more clearly-in Figure 4,

' which extend into slots 46inthe ends of the arms 43 and I I V 'In the cam memberiae is another cam groove having a constant portion 47 of "the same angular extent as the constant part 25 plus the slope 27 although displaced therefrom. Adjacent the part 47 is another constant part 48 having the angular extent of the slope 26. The ends of the part 47lare connected to the ends of the :part 48by slopes 49 and 50, the former being rather abrupt and the latter having substantially the same angular extent as the short constant piece 26 betweentheslopes 26 and 27. i The slide 42 Prior to the retraction of the cross head by'i the slope'27, the'part26 permits a'stationa'ry interval offthe cross head during which'the slope 50 'pu'lls the slide 42 and actuatesthe shafts 13 to swing the fingers 331 behind the shorterlap 10 of the foremost bag 3 as illus trated in Figure 9. The slope 27' then withdraws the cross head while theconstant part 47. maintains the fingers 33 in gripping position. This position is alsomaintained while the bag is held open during the operation of the constant part 25 on the rocker arm 28. Prior tothe next advance of the cross heads towardszthehead 7,the roller 51 travels in the slope 49', whereby the fingers 33 arerreleased from the bag which has been opened. y r

, The head '7 carries a pair of rotary stems 52 behind the holders 8 and-equipped with jaws 53 adapted to be pitched intoithe stack of bags behind the holderfThese jaws are actuated from the shafts 13by means-of arms 54 carried by the shafts and joined by links 55 to arms 56 carried by the stems 52. I The "jaws are operated simultaneously withthe fingers 33 and bind one or more bags against the holders 8 while the foremost bag is being distended.- p

On the top of the'f'rame 1, above the filling compartment '4,is ahopper 57 communicating with a conventional elevator 58 which is fed at a lower hopper or bin'59'. The elevator thereforeis positioned to discharge into'the filling space and into the bags while held open in order tooperate the elevator only While the bags are held open, the elevator is geared to another camslot on the cam member 24; v g

This gearing comprises a clutch element '60 loose on the shaft :21 and carrying a gear '61. The speedis steppedup by means, of a compound gear 62 journalled on a stub-shaft 63supported by the frame. The larger element'of the compound gear 'isconnected by a chain 64 to o'neof the sprockets 65 which drive the elevator. The cam slot for actuating the clutch consists of two constant sections 66 and 67 (Figure 6) spaced apart and each extending throughnearly 180. The ends of onesection are joined to those of the other by short slopes 68. A cooperating clntchmember 69 is splined on the shaft 21 and is adapted to cooperate with the first lution the cross head travels back and 7 the constant por on the rocker arm 28, the pin 72 travels in forth on the shafts 13. It is evident by examination of Figure 1 that while the rock er arm 28 is acted upon by the slot portions 26, 26, 27 between the ends of the constant portion 25, the pin 72 travels in the section 66 which is more remote from the clutch, whereby the clutch is held open and the elevator is maintained in idle condition. hen

ion comes in o operation the section 67 near the clutch, at which time the element 69 is brought into engagement with the element and the elevator is oper ated. The element 60 is backed by a spring 73 in order to enable a yieldable sliding movement thereof on the shaft 21, so that in case he clutch elements do not register properly on first contact, the element 60 will be repelled temporarily but permitted to return to its normal position when the element 69 has been turned by the shaft 21 into the proper pos-r tionfor registration with the element 60.

Adjacent the frame 1 and in proximity to the filling space 4 is mounted a scale 7-4: is"- ing weighing platform 75 and an indicator 76: The bags, after having been filled from the elevator and released by the gripping devicemay be moved manually to the platform lo and checked as to the weight of their contents.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it

will be understc-odlthat various al erations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the in vcntion, as indicated by the appended claims. What I claim is: l 1. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle adapted to contain a staclrot folded bags, a holder adapted to engage the upper edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable to a holder adapted to engage the upper edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger caried by said head, means for actuating said cross head, means for turning said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said head in close proximity to said holder, and means for retracting said head from said holder after said finger has been turned.

3. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle adapted to contain a stack of folded bags, a holder adapted to engage the upper edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, means for actuating said cross head. means for turning said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder, a jaw rotatably mounted behind said holder, and means for intermittently turning said jaw to a position directly behind the bag-engaging part of said holder.

at. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle adapted to contain stack of folded bags, a holder adapted to engage the upper edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, means for actuating said cross head, means for turning said finger towards the bottom 1 said receptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder, means for retract ting said head from said ho der after said finger has been turned, a jaw rotatably mounted behind said holder, and means for intermittently turning said jaw to a position directly behind the bag-engaging part of said holder.

5. In. a bag filling machine. a receptacle adapted to contain a stack of folded bags, a spring drawn holder adapted to engage the upper edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping spring drawn finger carried by said head, tor actuating said cross head, and means for turning said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder.

6. In bag filling machine, a receptacle adapted to contain a stack of told d bags, a holder adapted to engage the upper ec'g e oi the foremost bag, a cross headmovable towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, means for actuating said cross head, means for turn ing said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder, and a hopper adapted to discharge into the space between said holder and saidcross head in retracted position.

7. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle adapted to contain a stack of folded bags, a

holder adapted to engage the upper edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable tollll) gage the foremost bag, a rotatable gripping" wards andawayfrom said holder, a stop carried by said cross head and adapted to enfinger carried by said head, means foractuating said cross head, and means for turning said finger towards the bottom of said re ceptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder. 7 a p p 8; In a bag "fillingmachine, a receptacle adapted to contain av stack of folded bags,a

' holder adapted to engage the upperv edge of the foremost bag, a cross head movable towards and away from said holder, a stop carried'by said cross head and adapted to engage the foremost bag, arotatable grippingfinger compartment adjacent thereto for contain- .ing a stack of folded bags, a holder supported insaid receptacle for engaging the upper edge of the foremost bag in a plane sub.-

stantially separating said compartments, a shaft supported in the upper partv of said filling compartment, across head slidable thereon towards and awayfrom said holder,

" a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, an operating cam, linkage from said cam to said head for sliding the latter,-linkage'from saidcam to said finger for turning said fingerto-wards the bottom of said ree taclewhen said head is in close proximity to said holder. 1 a

- 10." In a 'bag filling machine, receptacle affording a filling compartment and a'bag compartment adjacent thereto for'containing astaok of folded bags, a holder supported in said receptacle for engaging the upper A edge of'th'e foremost bag in a plane substantiallyfsep'arating said compartments, a shaft supported in the upper part of said filling compartment, a cross "head slidable thereon towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried'by -sai'd head,

astop carried by said cross head and adapted to engage the foremost bag, an operating cam,

, linkage from said cam to said head for sliding the' latt'er, linkage froms'aid cam to'said finger for turning said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said' head is in close proximity to said holder.

11. a bag fillingmachin'e, areceptacle alfordlng a filling; compartment and a' bag compartment adjacent thereto for containing a" stack of folded bags, a holder sup- "ported in said receptaclefor engaging the upper edge oftheforemos't bag in a plane substantially separating saidcompartments,

ashaft'supported in the upper part of said receptacle filling compartment, a cross. head slidable thereon towa'rds and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, anoperating cam',,linkage from said 'cam'to said head for sliding the latter, linkage from said cam to said finger for turning said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder, a jaw rotatably mounted behind said holder, and means for intermittently turning said jaw to a position directly behind thebagi-engaging part of said holder, 12. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle affording a. filling compartment a'nd'a bag compartment adjacent thereto for containing a stack of-foldedbags, a holder supported in said receptacle for engaging the upper edge ,of'the foremost bag in a plane substantially separating said compartments,

, a shaft supported in the upperpartof said filling compartment, a cross head splined on said shaft and slidable'thereon towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, an operating cam, linkage from said cam to said headfor sliding thesame, linkage between said shaft and finger for turning the latter towards the bottom, of said filling compartment, drive means for-said shaft, and a linkage from said cam to said driving means for actuating the latter when the head'is in close proximity to said holder. m a

13. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle affording a filling compartment and a bag compartment adjacent thereto for contain.- ing stack of folded bags, a holder supported in said receptacleffor engagingthe upper edge of the foremost bag inarplane substantially separating. said compartments,

a shaft supported in the upper part of said filling compartment, a cross headsplined on saidshaft and slidable thereon towards and away from saidholder', arotatable gripping finger carried by said head,fan operating cam, linkage from said cam to said head for sliding the same, linkage between said shaft and finger for turning the latter towards the bottom" of said filling compartment, drive means for said shaft, a linkage from said cam to said driving means for actuating the latter when the head is in close proximity to said holder, and a jaw member rotatably mounted behind said holder andlinkedto said shaft. I

149111 a bag filling machine, areceptacle affording a filling compartment anda bag compartment adjacentth'ereto for contains ing a stackof'folded bags, a holder supported in said receptacle for engaging the 'upper edge of the foremost bag in a plane substantially separating said compartments, a

shaft supported in the upper part of said filling compartment, across head splined on said shaft and slidable thereon towards and away from said holder,=a stop carried by said cross head and adapted to engage the foremost bag, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, an operating cam, linkage from said cam to said head for sliding the same, linkage between said shaft and finger for turning the latter towards the bottom of said filling compartment, drive means for said shaft, and a linkage from said cam to said driving means for actuating the latter when the head is in close proximity to said holder.

15. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle affording a filling compartment and a bag compartment adjacent thereto for containing a stack of folded bags, a holder supported in said receptacle for engaging the upper edge of the foremost bag in a plane substantially separating said compartments, a shaft supported in the upper part of said filling compartment, a cross head splined on said shaft and slidable thereon towards and away from said holder, a stop carried by said cross head and adapted to engage the foremost bag, a rotatable gripping fingercarried by said head, an operating cam, linkage from said I cam to said head for sliding the same, linkage between said shaft and finger for turning the latter towards the bottom of said filling compartment, drive means for said shaft, a linkage from said cam to said driving means for actuating the latter when the head is in close proximity to said holder, and a jaw member rotatablv mounted behind said holder and linked to said shaft.

16. In a bag filling machine, a receptacle affording a filling compartment and a bag compartment adjacent thereto for containing a stack of folded bags, a holder supported in said receptacle for engaging the upper edge of the foremost bag in a plane substan tially separating said compartments, a shaft supported in the upper part of said filling compartment, a cross head slidably thereon towards and away from said holder, a rotatable gripping finger carried by said head, an operating cam, linkage from said cam to said head for sliding the latter, linkage from said cam to said finger for turning said finger towards the bottom of said receptacle when said head is in close proximity to said holder, a loading device adapted to discharge into said filling space, and drive mechanism for said loadingdevice geared to said cam for intermittent operation thereby.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

JULIAN PELLETIER. 

